Lack of wind raises fears for future of green energy

On December 30, Britain's 3,000 operational wind farms produced just 0.04 per cent of the country's powerAndrew Milligan/PA

Britain’s leading renewable energy company has reported a 20 per fall in the amount of electricity produced by its wind turbines.

The news came as official figures revealed that on December 30, an exceptionally still day, Britain’s 3,000 operational wind turbines produced only 0.04 per cent of the country’s power.

The Energy Minister Charles Hendry told The Times that the figures proved the urgency with which other forms of low-carbon generation needed to be developed.

SSE, the company that trades as Southern Electric and Scottish Hydro, yesterday reported for the first time detailed information on the performance of its renewable power-generating facilities. It admitted that it revealed the figures under pressure from anxious investors.

SSE’s figures show a 30 per cent decline in output from…

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